Sounding-board support for grand and upright pianos



Oct. 21, 1930. H. POHLMAN SOUNDING BOARD SUPPORT FOR GRAND AND UFRIGHT PIANOS Filed Aug. 9, 1929 INVENTOR Hemy Poklmcm BY ATTORN EYS Patented Oct. 21, 1930 mazes PATENT OFFECE HENRY POHLMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SOU'NDING-BOARD SUPPORT FOR GRAND AND UPRIGI-I'l PTQALTOS' Application filed August 9, 1929.

This invention relates to sounding board supports for grand and upright pianos.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a device of the character 5 set forth which is adapted to substantially prevent sagging of a piano sounding board. It is an object of the present invention to provide a. novel and improved sounding board support for pianos, which may be ad- 10 justably associated with the piano to vary the tension applied to the sounding board of the piano.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a piano sounding board sup 15 port which will resiliently support the piano sounding board to offset the normal sagging tendency of the piano sounding board.

A further object of the present invention to provide as a new article of manufacture, a simple and efficient adjustable sounding board support.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in i5 conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my present invention applied to a piano sounding board;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on lines 83 of Fig. 1.

Leferring more particularly to the draw ings, as shown in Fig. 1, the present device comprises an elongated member having a body 10 terminating in bridge-engaging furcations 11, which terminal end lies in the plane of the body 10. The opposite end of the member is turned downwardly as at 12 and terminates in furcations 13, whereby the device may be adjustably secured to the frame of the piano. The support is preferably formed of semi-flexible material, such as tool steel, whereby, as will be hereinafter seen, it will accommodate itself to take up sagging or warping of the sounding board.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the downwardly extending end of the support is Serial No. 384,661.

mounted upon thc frame 1% of the piano and is adjustably secured thereto by an adjustable bolt 15. The furcations 13 of the support extend on either side of the bolt and the head of the bolt secures the device in adjusted position. By this construction it will be seen that the support may be adjusted for angular relation with respect to the frame 14 and that by adjusting the bolt 15 the support may be tightened to control the tension applied to the sounding board.

The sound board, indicated by'the numeral 16, is provided with a. conventional bridge 17 upon which the strings 18 bear. For con necting the sound board with the support, the forward furcations 11 are provided, which are adapted to passon either side of an adjustable bolt 19 carried by the bridge 17 of the sounding board. As shown in Fig; 2, the arrangement is such that he normal resiliency of the support will urge upwardly the bridge 17', and thus by the connection of the bridge with the sounding board, the sounding board will be held against or warping. It will be understood that by adjusting the bolt 19, the tension applied on the sounding board may be readily varied. lt will further be seen that by the elongations of the slots between the furcations 11 and 13, the device may be adjusted for various distances between the bolts 15 and 19;

It will be understood that, if desired, a plurality of the supports may be provided. It will be seen that the supports are aerately adjustable by adjustment of either the bolts 15 or 19, or both.

In the operation of the device, before tuning the piano, the tuner will adjust the tension applied by the support 10 or will provide a support 10, thereby overcoming the normal saggingof the sounding board. Thus the device insures a proper positioning of the sounding board and a proper contact of the bridge with the strings.

It has been found that the present invention is of value both in rectifying sounding boards and in preventing such sagging, and that the device may be applied to provide the proper tension on the sounding board thus improving the tone qualities of the instrument.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple, efficient V and'improved supporting means for piano sounding boards,

The device may be used either as an accessory to improve the tone qualities of old pianos or t may be used for new planos to prevent undue. strain and sagging of the piano-forte.)

It will further be understood that the invention is not confinedto the specific construction and material herein specified, and that numerous changes, modifications and the full use ofequivalents may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of thepres'ent invention.

What is'claimed is: l V l1. In a'piano, theicombination with a frame, and a'sounding board; of means eX- tending between said frame andsounding lo I board for substantially preventing sagging of the sounding board.

'2. Ina p ano, the combination with a frame and a sounding board; of resilient means extending between said frame and sounding board for substantially preventing sagging of the sounding board.

3; Ina piano, the combination with a frame and sounding board; of a resilient adjustable arm carried by said frame and engageable with-the'sounding board to substantially prevent sagging thereof. 7

4. In a piano, the combination with a frame and sounding board carrying a bridge; of a'suppo-rt carried by said frame and en gageable with said bridge to substantially prevent sagging ofthe sounding board.

5; In a piano, the combination with a frame and sounding board; of a support extending between said frame and soundingboard, comprising an elongated body having one end extending downwardly to engage the frame. 7 p I 6. In a piano, the combintion with a frame'and sound board; of a support extending between said frame and sounding board, comprising an elongated body having one end extending downwardly to engage the frame,

said end having furcations adapted to rece1ve therebetween a securing bolt carried by the frame.

frame and soundingboard; of a support ex tending between said frame and sounding board, comprising an elongated body having one end extending downwardly to engage the frame, said end having furcations adaptcarried by the frame, the opposite end including furcations adapted to receive therebetween a bolt carried by the bridge of the sounding board, said body being formed of resilient material to normally maintain a predetermined stress opposedto the normal sagging stress of the sounding board. 7

' HENRY V POHLMAN. 7

6; ed to receive therebetween a securing bolt 7 

